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Who do I contact to get more details about this application?
Koi Boynton at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture.
Phone: 802 828-2084 or koi.boynton@state.vt.us.
Do I budget for technical assistance for these grants?
For planning grants, there is limited, free to schools, technical assistance from VT FEED (Food Education Everyday). Trainings include two needs assessments and an action planning session.
For implementation grants, there is not any free technical assistance, nor is it required. If technical assistance is desired, you must budget for it. You must, however, demonstrate prior training, planning, and initial development of a Farm to School Program.
Why are there two types of farm to school grants?
Successful farm to school programs require planning before implementation. Implementation Grants will not be considered if there has been no prior farm to school project planning.
Do I have to involve our Wellness committee?
Any farm to school program committee should be working with, or be a sub-committee of, your district/school health/wellness committee. Some schools have created their own farm-to-school committee for the project.
What if we don’t have an active Wellness committee?
Most districts created a school or district Wellness committee as part of the development of the required by the 2006 federal Wellness Policy. If a committee is not currently operating in your district, be sure to explain how your farm-to-school initiative ties into your health or wellness policy. To receive a grant you must have a farm-to-school project committee (refer to requirement #1 for all grantees).
Do I need to keep track of what VT products the food service buys as a result of the implementation grants?
Yes. Sample tracking forms are provided to schools receiving grants. Future state funding of these grants may be dependent on adequate information about Vermont foods purchased.
Why aren’t school gardens and greenhouses funded?
The intent of this legislation in this Bill is to develop purchasing relationships between schools and VT producers in order to support Vermont agriculture. However, many schools integrate existing gardens / greenhouses or those funded by different sources into their Farm-to-School activities.
How do we continue our farm to school program in our second year?
Planning for sustainability should always be should be considered from the very beginning and included in your application. Many schools have found it helpful to have one or more people focused on seeking local funds to sustain your program. Schools have applied for new grants, taken part in creative fundraising and even included Farm-to-School in the school budget.
If we receive a grant, what if our objectives or activities change during the grant period?
You need to outline your changes and reasons why, and the budget changes in a letter to Koi Boynton at VAAFM before you pay for these new items or services.
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